• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Home Garden Joy
  • Home
  • How to Garden
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Diseases
    • Raised Bed Gardening
    • Seed Starting
    • Tools & Equipment
  • Plants
    • Plant Profiles
    • Vegetables
    • Fruit
    • Herbs
  • Recipes
    • Canning and Food Preservation
  • Books & Classes
    • Herbalism Classes
    • Books for Christian Herbalists
  • About
    • Privacy Policy

New Eggplant Varieties to Try

April 26, 2016 by Jeanne

Are you looking for new eggplant varieties to try? I found information today on Burpee’s new “Meatball” eggplant that looks promising. If you love a thick, hearty eggplant that can substitute for meat in recipes, this one looks like a keeper.

#568 Eggplant 'Yume Shizuka' aka 'Meatball'
#568 Eggplant ‘Yume Shizuka’ aka ‘Meatball’

New Eggplant Varieties to Try: Meatball by Burpee

For those looking at new eggplant varieties, Burpee seed and plant company doesn’t disappoint. The company always has interesting plants to try and this year is no exception. “Meatball” is a sweet eggplant with thick flesh that’s perfect for slicing and grilling.

This year, a new variety is available that could change the way you view eggplant forever. ‘Meatball’ is the first sweet-tasting eggplant variety that features a dense, meaty flesh that is flavorful and free of bitterness.

“Not since Burpee’s introduction of ‘Black Beauty’ in 1904 has eggplant been so transformed,” said George Ball, CEO and Chairman of W. Atlee Burpee & Company. “‘Meatball’ will convert the unconverted to loving eggplant.”

‘Meatball’ is a heavy yielding eggplant hybrid that produces hefty 5-inch dark, round fruit all summer long. The flesh of ‘Meatball’ eggplant is moist and very versatile. Try cooking and shaping it into meatballs, or grilling it as a healthy steak or hamburger substitute.

Plant your ‘Meatball’ hybrid seeds indoors in late winter, and transplant outdoors after the threat of frost has passed. The eggplants will be ready for harvest 50-60 days later. You can purchase a packet of seeds for $6.95 or three live starter plants for $16.95, exclusively from www.burpee.com, 1-800-888-1447.

Photo and story provided by Home, Garden and Homestead and used with permission. 

Filed Under: Vegetable Gardening

Previous Post: « Rustic Tuscan Bean Salad Recipe
Next Post: Mulch Deliveries, New Compost Piles, New Friends »

Footer

raised bed garden

How to Prepare Raised Beds for Spring Planting

The snow and ice have finally melted. In the mornings when I walk my dog through our farm, I can hear a rooster crowing on a neighboring farm. Cardinals have begun singing in the dawn. It’s spring, folks. And while the calendar reminds me we can still feel winter’s icy breath, spring planting is just…

Read More

two loaves of bread in the oven

Swedish Tea Bread

I first made Swedish tea bread for my 50th birthday. Three of my friends have birthdays in the same month and invited me to their family group birthday celebration (they are all relatives). I shaped the bread into braided rings and decorated it with sliced almonds. It was a hit, and I have made it…

Read More

a shovel with compost on it

How to Start Composting in Winter

Have you thought about starting a compost pile, but you’re wondering how to start composting in winter? I mean, after all, here in Virginia we just had three solid weeks of absolutely tundra-like temperatures. I had a sheet of ice for a lawn, and the raised bed garden was completely covered in a thick layer…

Read More

tomato seedlings

Seed Starting Indoors in February: Best Vegetables for Zones 4–8

February brings a special kind of excitement for gardeners across the northern United States. While snow may still be hanging around, February is the perfect opportunity to get your hands dirty indoors. It gives you an excuse to go to your favorite garden center – you need to stock up on seeds, right? It’s definitely…

Read More

  • About
  • Plant a Row for the Hungry
  • My Books on Amazon
  • Awards
  • Privacy Policy

Let’s Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Threads
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2026 Home Garden Joy on the Foodie Pro Theme